Javier Ors Ausín will explore the World Monuments Fund’s (WMF) contemporary approach to engaging with Modernist architecture, focusing particularly on its ongoing initiatives to conserve and document Modernism in Africa. Using several projects as case studies, his talk will illustrate how WMF’s efforts in the region contribute to broadening the global perspective of Modernism, recognizing it as a multifaceted transnational movement of the 20th century that evolved in response to diverse political climates, environmental conditions, and architectural traditions.

Javier will highlight two key projects at distinct sites within the region: the Maison du Peuple in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, designed by French architect René Faublée in 1965 following Burkina Faso’s independence from France in 1960; and the unfinished Cine Estudio Namibe in Moçâmedes, Angola, designed by Portuguese architect José Botelho Pereira in 1973.

These examples will demonstrate how heritage conservation practices can actively involve local communities and stakeholders in the preservation of African modernist architecture through the implementation of projects that involve documentation, conservation planning, adaptive reuse, restoration, and training. Ultimately, this talk will present WMF’s commitment to enriching the narratives, expanding the range of actors, and highlighting additional sites of significant twentieth-century architecture.

Javier Ors Ausín is an architect and Senior Program Manager, Special Programs, at World Monuments Fund (WMF) headquarters in Rockefeller Center, New York City, where he oversees three WMF special programs–Modern Architecture, Jewish Heritage, and Crisis Response, along with a diverse portfolio of conservation field projects in different countries across the world. Javier holds Bachelor of Building Engineering and a Master in Architecture from the Universidad Politécnica de Valencia in Spain, and a Master in Design Studies in Critical Conservation from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design.

Underwriting for complimentary admission generously provided by World Monuments Fund wmf.org